


Time Trial

by demishock



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, IgNoct, Ignoct Week, ignoct weekend, ignoctweek, ignoctweekend, ignoctwritingweekend, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-19 22:52:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14882747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demishock/pseuds/demishock
Summary: Ignis had never been late to anything in his life, and that was how Noctis knew something must be wrong.





	Time Trial

**Author's Note:**

> ignoct week is back, just for the weekend! I think I might be a little late depending on the time zone, but it's still Friday where I'm at, so hopefully it still counts???
> 
> I had started this a while ago and then got stuck on it until I saw the prompt list for this weekend. I was able to dust it off and give it another go, and here we are! Takes place sometime after the Bittersweet Memories episode of the Brotherhood anime, but before Noct has graduated from high school.
> 
> Written for the Object prompt: Watch/Clock

Noctis knew something was wrong when Ignis was late picking him up from the arcade.

Normally he would have walked home, but today it was pouring rain. Ignis always insisted on fetching him in the car when it rained, like he thought Noctis was going to melt or something. He’d texted a little over an hour ago letting Noctis know when to expect him. 

That time had come and gone five minutes ago, and Noctis was getting worried. Ignis had never been late to anything in his life, as far as Noctis knew.

Prompto frowned at him as he checked his phone for the fifteenth time.

“Dude, relax; he’s probably just stuck in traffic.”

Noctis shook his head.

“He would’ve accounted for traffic.”

“Maybe there was an accident,” Prompto suggested, then hurriedly waved his hands when Noctis went pale. “Not involving Ignis! Just, y’know, in general.”

Too late, now: Noctis’s head was filled with thoughts of automobile-related carnage.

He checked his phone again.

Nothing.

He squinted through the wet glass doors of the arcade, but didn't see the familiar black car at the curb.

He put a hand on his hip and raked the other through his hair.

He tapped his foot.

Then he checked his phone again.

Still nothing.

Grinding his teeth, he started typing out a text demanding that Ignis let him know he wasn't trapped in the wreckage of his car somewhere, but before he could send it, Prompto clapped him on the shoulder.

"He's here! Car looks fine--"

But Noctis was already outside. He reached the car just as Ignis was opening the door, umbrella in hand.

"Noct, you could have waited inside. I--"

"Save it," Noctis snapped, clambering into the back seat and crossing his arms. He was dimly aware of the fact that he was soaking the upholstery as Ignis sighed and went to fetch Prompto with the umbrella instead.

Noctis wasn't mad - not really. Just freaked out. He'd been afraid something bad had happened, and then here Ignis was, like it was no big deal...

While he continued fear-fuming, Ignis and Prompto made it back to the car. Ignis escorted the blonde to the backseat on the passenger side, and Noctis caught the tail end of their conversation.

"--owe you big time, Iggy; thanks!"

"Not at all. This is no weather for a jog, no matter how fit you may be."

Prompto fastened his seatbelt as Ignis rounded the car again, ducking back inside and shaking the umbrella out. He deposited it on the floor beneath the passenger seat before pulling away from the curb.

"So what was the hold-up?" Prompto asked. "Noct was worried sick."

"I was not," Noctis sulked, even though he definitely had been.

"Apologies," Ignis said, and Noctis knew he meant it. "It seems my watch has stopped. I didn't realize it until I got in the car, and I couldn't very well text while I was driving..."

"You use a watch?" Prompto asked in surprise. "What about your cell phone?"

"That would be just as - if not more - fallible," Ignis said, a bit defensively.

"He's just trying to show off for the old farts on the Council," Noctis said, rolling his eyes. He knew he should give Ignis a break. He didn't know why his worry was manifesting itself as anger, but now that he was in this headspace, it was hard to reverse course.

He caught Ignis studying him in the rear-view. Chastened, he swallowed and dropped his gaze.

"If it's worth showing off, then can I see it?" Prompto asked, seemingly oblivious to the tension between them.

"I suppose..." Ignis said. At the next red light, he deftly removed the watch and passed it into Prompto's waiting hand. Prompto studied it under the streetlights, holding it delicately, like he was afraid he might break it further.

"Cool," he said appreciatively after a moment. "Is it an antique?"

Ignis scoffed under his breath.

"I'm afraid the only thing antiquated about it is the warranty."

"Huh. Shows what I know. How long have you had it?"

"Just a few years now."

"Guess they don't make 'em like they used to," Prompto said. "Still, it's pretty fancy. Think they'll be able to fix it?"

"I certainly hope so. It feels a bit early for its time to be up."

Noctis shook his head as Prompto grinned.

Shortly thereafter, Ignis parked the car - they'd arrived in front of Prompto's house. Prompto handed the watch back over to Ignis, who reached for the umbrella in the passenger seat. Prompto waved him off.

"Don't worry about it; it's only a few meters to the door and I'm gonna hop straight in the shower anyway."

"See that you do," Ignis said firmly, ever worrying about their health and well-being.

"You got it, boss!"

Prompto turned and waved at Noctis.

"Seeya tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Noctis said, making an effort, raising his hand in parting as Prompto shut the door and made an impressive run for it.

Ignis waited until Prompto had disappeared into the entryway before he turned the car around and headed for Noctis's apartment.

They didn't speak for some time, the splattering of the rain and the rhythmic thudding of the windshield wipers punctuating the silence.

Ignis broke first.

"I truly am sorry to have caused you such concern, Noct," he said. "I'll see about getting my watch repaired straight away."

Try as he might, Noctis couldn't find the right words to respond, so he didn't, his tongue feeling leaden in his mouth as he rested his head against the cool glass of the window.

He felt untethered from reality. Ignis was never late. It was one of the few things Noctis had always been able to rely on. If he couldn't count on even that, then what _could_ he count on?

He was aware of how ridiculous he was being. No one could be perfect one hundred percent of the time - not even Ignis. Noctis knew that he of all people had no business expecting perfection out of anyone.

Still, it left him unsettled.

The parking garage was blessedly empty when they arrived. Noctis knew he looked the polar opposite of a prince at the moment, all sodden hair and soggy clothes and squelching shoes. He trailed noisily behind Ignis to the elevator, fussing with his phone to avoid eye contact until they made it into his foyer.

"You'd best have a shower yourself," Ignis said as they both removed their shoes. "I'll get started on dinner in the meantime."

"Knock yourself out," Noctis muttered, peeling his socks off with a grimace. He bee-lined for the bathroom, his bare feet already cold by the time he reached the door.

Ignis called out from behind him:

"Wet clothes in the washer, please."

Noctis shut the door a bit louder than was strictly necessary in reply.

He almost threw the clothes on the floor, but decided that was just going too far at this point. Ignis deserved better than that. Noctis always did this, and he didn’t really know why. He’d been acting out since he was a kid, mostly because when he got in trouble, his dad took time out of his eternally busy schedule to check up on him. That was, ultimately, how he’d ended up with his own apartment – he’d snuck out of the Citadel so many times that his dad had finally just given him somewhere else to go, thinking it would help. It did, a little - it was harder to be upset about not being able to see his dad when they weren't constantly in the same building.

It was different with Ignis, though. Ignis always paid attention to him, whether he was getting into trouble or not. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to be such a jerk to his lifelong companion, other than the nagging feeling he always got that someday, Ignis would leave him, if he saw what a lost cause Noctis really was.

So far, though, Ignis seemed immune to Noctis's weird brand of self-sabotage.

Noctis was thankful for it, even though he knew he did a poor job of showing it.

He resolved to let his bad mood wash down the drain with the rest of the day's dirt.

Ignis had chickatrice tortilla soup waiting when Noctis exited the shower, and it was delicious, especially after Noctis melted a bunch of cheese on top of his portion. Ignis took him through the minutes from his meetings with the Council earlier that day, which meant that Noctis only had to nod along as he ate, trying to absorb what information he could.

Once he was full of food, facts, and figures, Noctis collapsed on the couch with his homework, the rain still pattering away outside. He had expected Ignis to take off once he’d cleaned up the dinner dishes, so he was pleasantly surprised when he found himself distracted from his studies by the distinct aroma of something baking. Noctis glanced up to see Ignis leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee in one hand and the evening paper in the other. It was all very domestic and familiar, and it set Noctis’s heart at ease.

He was struck, not for the first time, by how mature Ignis was. They were only two years apart, but the difference was particularly stark in moments like these.

Noctis hoped that someday he’d turn out to be someone Ignis could take pride in, instead of the mess he was now.

The overhead light caught on the metallic band of Ignis's defunct wristwatch, and Noctis sighed, looking back down at the assignment in his lap. 

It wasn't long before the oven timer went off, and Ignis approached soon after with a plate full of familiar-looking pastries.

Noctis recognized them for what they were: a peace offering, which was ridiculous, because Noctis was the one who ought to be apologizing for his earlier attitude. But that was Ignis. It was really hard to stay mad at him, especially when Noctis knew his outburst had been completely unjustified.

Even if Ignis's relentless kindness was infuriating sometimes, in and of itself.

"I tried a combination of chocolate and strawberries this time," Ignis informed him as he got to work on the first of them.

Noctis chewed thoughtfully.

"Don't think it was chocolate," Noctis mused once he'd finished. "Dunno about the berries. Maybe?"

Ignis hummed to himself in thought, scribbling in the little notebook he always kept with him before plucking one up to try for himself.

Noctis wondered idly what he'd do if Ignis actually managed to hit on the right combination of ingredients. Would Noctis even recognize them, at this point? Did it matter? Ignis had started this whole thing years ago, when Noctis had mentioned them as one of the few bright spots amidst his long recovery, and he'd been making attempt after delicious attempt ever since. He'd yet to prepare one that Noctis didn't enjoy, even if they weren't exactly the same as the ones he'd had in Tenebrae.

He forced himself to stop after two, deciding he would bring the rest with him to school tomorrow. He knew Prompto would enjoy them too, and he felt like he needed to do something nice for him after subjecting him to that awkwardness in the car before.

That only left him with an even greater need to do something to make it up to Ignis, though. Noctis puzzled over that one for the rest of the night, well after Ignis had gone home to his own apartment.

\---

The rain had let up by morning, so Noctis didn't see Ignis again until he got home for the evening. Ignis's visits had been less frequent when Noctis had first moved to the apartment, but these days he was around almost as often as if they were still living together at the Citadel. Noctis suspected it had something to do with the disastrous attempt he'd made at cooking after their argument about his royal responsibilities, but he wasn't about to turn him away. Ignis was better at it than he was, by a long shot. A few times, Ignis had tried to teach him some of the basics, but it just didn't come naturally to Noctis. He helped when Ignis specifically asked him to, but otherwise he was happy not to be involved.

So it was tonight. Noctis dropped his school bag near the couch, then sidled up to the counter. He leaned on his elbows to watch critically as Ignis chopped what Noctis considered to be a truly alarming number of vegetables. He'd gotten off easy the night before with the soup, but it looked like Ignis wasn't about to give him a pass two days in a row.

"Hope you're hungry, 'cause those're all yours," Noctis informed him, eyebrows rising in time with the pile of plants.

Ignis didn't dignify him with a response, simply carrying on with his task, although if Noctis didn't know any better, he'd swear that the knife was hitting the cutting board with a bit more force than it had been before.

It took Noctis a few more moments of staring at Ignis's bare forearms to notice that something was off about them - or specifically, what was off his wrist.

"Did you leave your watch to get fixed somewhere?" he asked.

"Ah, no," Ignis said, glancing at the wrist in question. "In point of fact, it seems to have met its untimely demise."

"They couldn't do anything about it?"

"Alas, its time is well and truly up."

Now Noctis was SURE that the knife had gotten louder.

"That sucks."

"Indeed."

"What're you gonna do?" Noctis asked.

Ignis finally set the knife down and set to spreading the veggies out across a baking sheet, drizzling them with a mixture of oil and herbs.

"I suppose I could take Prompto's advice and simply rely on my phone," Ignis said unconvincingly.

"It wouldn't kill you to get with the times," Noctis said, grinning when the corner of Ignis's mouth twitched upward.

"Perhaps not," Ignis conceded, "although it will no doubt be an adjustment, not watching my wrist all the time."

He turned to put the tray in the oven, and when he'd finished, Noctis frowned at him meaningfully. In reply, Ignis moved to the fridge and returned with a pair of steaks he'd apparently been marinating all along.

Noctis dropped his forehead to the countertop, sighing with relief.

"Oh, please," Ignis chided. "I'm not a monster."

"No you are not," Noctis agreed.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly after that, once Noctis knew for sure that he wasn't being punished for his lousy behavior yesterday. All seemed to be forgiven.

Still, it nagged at him.

Inspiration finally struck along with the clock as he glanced up from his homework to see it was getting pretty late. The answer seemed obvious now that it was literally staring him in the face: he could buy Ignis a new watch.

Noctis figured it wouldn't be that hard to find something similar to the one that had broken, or maybe something even better. His mind made up, he went to bed feeling quite pleased about the whole thing.

\---

Noctis's dreams were dashed the moment he caught sight of the price tags at the store the next afternoon. Everything in the window display was well beyond what earnings he'd managed to scrape together from his part-time job. He knew he could put it on his credit card, but that just felt like cheating. If this was going to be a proper present, he figured he should pay for it with money he'd actually worked for.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he scribbled a figure on a scrap of paper and wandered inside the store, handing it to the clerk behind the counter.

"What's the best I can get for that?" he asked, and got a raised eyebrow for his troubles.

The best he could get, it turned out, was a small, silver watch with a black leather band. It wasn't anywhere close to as nice as the one it was meant to replace, and Noctis was beginning to think he'd made a mistake going through with the purchase. The fanciest thing about it was the typeset of the numerals, and that wasn't saying much.

He ended up putting the box in Ignis's satchel without telling him, too embarrassed to even include a note with it, but he didn't want it to waste away in his closet, either. He figured if Ignis hated it he'd at least know what to do with it instead.

He'd assumed that Ignis wouldn't find it until he'd gone home for the night, but, just Noctis's luck, he happened to have a report in his bag that he chose to dig out just before he departed.

He frowned at the box, and Noctis wanted to smack it out of his hand and back into yesterday, before it had existed here and now.

He should have put it in the Armiger; then he could just make it disappear before Ignis could see--

"Noct?"

Noctis looked up at the sound of his name.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

The quiet sincerity of those two words vanquished all of Noctis's concerns in an instant.

Noctis shrugged as casually as he could manage.

"No big deal," he lied, hoping that Ignis would buy it and just let the matter drop.

And of course, Ignis did, because he had always been good at working around Noctis's mood-swings. Without another word, he removed the watch from its box and affixed it to his wrist, tilting it this way and that as though it were something truly worthy of admiration.

Noctis knew Ignis had been about to take his leave, but something compelled him to try to delay the inevitable.

"It's still pretty early," he commented, even though it wasn't, really. "You wanna stick around and…"

Unable to think of a compelling reason on the spot, he waved vaguely toward the entire living room.

Ignis seemed to consider it for a moment, adjusting his glasses before finally setting his bag back down.

"Well, I suppose you _did_ just give me some free time," Ignis conceded.

"Damn right," Noctis said, grinning triumphantly. "And just for that, I think it's time you got your butt whooped at JusMon III."

"I sincerely doubt that," Ignis said around a smirk. "Watch and learn."

In the end, Ignis made good on his threat and completely _smoked_ Noctis's high score - repeatedly, and with no lack of vigor. Though he suffered a few wounds to his pride in the process, Noctis was more than willing to pay that price as many times as he had to, if it meant that Ignis was late in leaving his side.

**Author's Note:**

> While I had the beginning of this written out a while ago, partial inspiration came from a couple of artworks by magemg over on tumblr: part 2 of her comic for Noctis's birthday (http://magemg.tumblr.com/post/165017498780/giving-a-watch-as-a-gift-means-a-declaration-that), and a pic she posted on Valentine's day (http://magemg.tumblr.com/post/157234146160/to). I loved the idea in the first one that a watch as a gift means wanting to spend every second together, and I cracked up laughing at the Valentine's one, because Noctis ABSOLUTELY WOULD get embarrassed and just hide his gift in Ignis's bag behind his back, haha. So many thanks to magemg for inadvertently helping me out with the writer's block I had on this!


End file.
